Heretofore, machines have been used for dispensing various forms of substantially dry, flowable material as by sprinkling or dispersion. Such machines are particularly useful in the processed food preparation industry for dispensing salt, sugar, seeds, garnishing, decorative coatings, etc., onto food products passing or conveyed beneath the dispensing machine. An example of one such machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,637,112 issued to Daniel Lamar Christy on Jan. 25, 1972.
Also known are machines intended for use in dispensing self-adhering and/or compactible materials. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,053, for example, there is disclosed a granulator that employs vertically reciprocating and stepped granulating members for crushing and grinding granular material which subsequently drops through the mesh of such members. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,314 discloses an apparatus employing a pair of planar friction members mounted in downwardly converging, facing relation for independent elevational movements to receive and separate clumps of fruit therebetween.
Other machines also known as granulators have been provided to grate or separate whole material into granules. In U.S. Pat. No. 788,429, there is disclosed a granulator of this type which employs two horizontally reciprocating grates arranged in a V to granulate roots, drugs and the like.